Inflatable suspenders

ABSTRACT

Each suspender strap of a pair of suspenders is provided with a flat relatively thin inflatable air chamber on the front terminal end depending inside and concealed by the garment to which they are connected, and a similar air chamber at the shoulder portion of the strap connected in communication with the first-mentioned chamber by an inflating hose extending between the chambers. The shoulder portion air chambers can be folded down and snapped in a deflated nonuse position which crimps the inflating hose and prevents inflation of the shoulder air chambers, and enables inflation of only the first-mentioned air chambers, until the shoulder portion air chambers are moved to the unfolded position.

[45] Mar. 7, 1972 Saes yawn] Geier [54] INFLATABLE SUSPENDERS PrmaryExaminer--Miltonuchler Assistant Examiner-Paul E. Sauberer Attorney-Rupert J. Brady [72] Inventor: Walter Geier, Numberg, Germany [73] Assignee: lng. Adam Geier KG, Numberg, Germany ABSTRACT References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS iNrLArABLE sUsPENDERs BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Inflatable vests are known in the prior art for providing buoyancy for a bather or the like to assist him in remaining afloat in water. However, these buoyancy devices are only put on when going into the water and are therefore not always readily available and accessible because they are not a normally worn article ofclothing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to Suspenders or braces which, in addition to being used in the conventional manner to hold up trousers or similar garments, can also be used for keeping a child afloat in water. Since they are a normally worn article of clothing they are always readily available for use.

The suspenders of this invention are characterized by containing inflatable air chambers at the front terminal ends concealed beneath the clothing and inflatable air chambers in the proximity of the shoulders of the user. Experience has shown that small inflated air chambers which are of a size that cannot be readily noticed by third persons, are when skillfully arranged sufficient to buoy up and protect the body of a child from drowning. This skillful arrangement is utilized in the Suspenders of the present invention by providing relatively thin and broad inflatable air chambers arranged in the proximity of the shoulders on the suspender straps to insure the users head is always turned upwardly in the water. The shoulder air chambers, after deflation, can be folded downwardly so that a hose in each suspender strap connecting the shoulder air chamber to the air chamber in the proximity of the front terminal end of the Suspenders is crimped to prevent air from entering the shoulder air chambers. In this nonuse position the Suspenders are used in the normal manner for holding up the trousers or swim trunks. By means of inflat ing hoses the front air chambers can be inflated to provide some buoyancy. For full buoyancy the shoulder air chambers are unsnapped and unfolded upwardly to uncrimp the communicating air hoses so the air can also flow to the air chambers in the vicinity of the shoulders and inflate same. In the unfolded position the shoulder air chambers overlie the shoulders, whereas in the folded position they are positioned somewhat in front of the shoulders.

Decorations may be applied to the back side of the inflatable chambers in 'the proximity of the shoulders, so that to an observer, the deflated shoulder air chambers in the foldeddown and snapped position appear as merely a decorative feature of the suspender straps in the proximity ofthe shoulders.

When the Suspenders are used on small children, it is advantageous to sew the Suspenders of this invention directly to the swimsuit or play pants and omit the otherwise customary clips normally used for connecting the Suspenders to the pants.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The drawing shows a diagrammatic view of an exemplary pair of Suspenders according to the invention, attached to a swimsuit or a pair of play pants, one suspender being shown in the unfolded,inflated use position, and the other suspender being shown in the folded uninflated position.

BRIEF DESCRIITION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The Suspenders of this invention are provided at the front terminal ends, at a position below the attaching clips 1 and 2, with inflatable air chambers 3 and 4 of any desired width and design but which are preferably wider than the main strap portions ofthe Suspenders to provide air chambers that are sufficiently large to provide a predetermined amount of buoyancy when inflated. The air chambers 3 and 4 are held in a relatively flattened condition, even when inflated, by means of the reinforcing seams 5 and 6 connecting the front and back LII panels of the material forming the air chambers at positions intermediate the side edges of the chambers to effectively divide the chambers in a plurality of smaller interconnected chamber sections, such as three, to thus maintain the air chambers 3 and 4 relatively thin and broad when inflated. The Suspenders may be constructed of any air impervious material in the area of the air chambers such as rubberized textile material, flexible plastic sheet material, or the like.

The releasable connecting clips 1 and 2 are connected to the suspender straps above the air chambers to connect the suspender straps to the top edge of the swim trunks or trousers, so that the enlarged air chamber end portions 3 and 4 depend inside the swim trunks below the top edge so that they are hidden from view in both the inflated and deflated conditions.

The main strap portions of the suspenders are not inflatable but each of the front strap portions conceal, preferably interior thereof, a respective flexible connecting hose 7 and 8 extending from the air chambers 3 and 4 to the shoulder portion air chambers 9 and 10, respectively, and connecting the respective air chambers 3, 9 and 4, l0 in air communication with each other. The air chambers 9 and 10 are formed on the straps in the proximity of the shoulders of the user, and are similar to the previously described chambers in that they are substantially wider than the suspender straps, are formed from air impervious material, and are each divided into a plurality of interconnected chamber sections by the reinforcing seams 11 and 12, joining the front and rear panels. This arrangement maintains the air chambers 9 and 10 relatively thin even when inflated so that the fact that the chambers are inflated is not readily noticeable by other persons.

The shoulder portion air chambers 9 and 10 are arranged at substantially the midpoints of the suspender straps which extend from opposite ends of the air chambers and are adapted to connect the straps t0 swim trunks 17 or the like by means of the releasable locking clips l, 2, l5 and 16. Short flexible hose sections or nipples 18 and 19 are respectively connected in communication with the hoses 7 and 8, and are closed by removable plug members in the ends thereof, and preferably slightly protrude from the rear or sides of the front straps as shown. These hose sections 18 and 19 are used to inflate the air chambers on the. right and left straps respectively by removing the plugs, inflating the chambers with the mouth, like blowing up a balloon, and then inserting the plugs in the ends of the hose sections.

The air chambers 9 and l0 are movable between two positions. ln the drawing air chamber 9 is illustrated in the unfolded ready-for-use inflated position, while the air chamber 10 is illustrated in the folded-down stored position. lt is in this latter position that the air chambers 9 and 10 are normally maintained when the Suspenders are not inflated. Buttons or snap fasteners 14 maintain the air chambers 9 and l0 in the folded-down positions. In this position the straps are abruptly bent upon themselves at the narrow point 13 where the connecting hoses 7 and 8 connect with the chambers 9 and l0, respectively, thus cutting off air communication to the chambers,from the hoses and chambers 3 and 4. ln this position there is normally no air in chambers 9 and l0 and they are in an externally sealed nonuse position and appear as decorative enlarged flat portions of the shoulder straps on the front shoulder portion of the wearer.

While in this position, the air chambers 3 and 4 can be inflated through hose sections 18 and 19 to provide some buoyancy but the shoulder chambers 9 and l0 will not become inflated because of the crimp in the hose connections at 13. When the inflatable Suspenders are to be used for full buoyancy the snap fasteners are released as shown with respect to air chamber 9, and the air chamber unfolds upwardly so it assumes a position over the shoulder of the user. The unfolding also provides additional strap length needed when the air chambers 9 and 10 are inflated. In this position, all of the air chambers 3, 4, 9 and l0 may be fully inflated by blowing through the hose sections 18 and 19. All of the air chambers in the inflated condition are very broad but are also relatively flat as the seams 5, 6, l1 and l2 prevent them from bulging when inflated.

When the Suspenders of the invention are used for small children, it is advantageous, instead of using the clips l, 2, l5, 16, to sew the four outer ends of the Suspenders directly to the childrens swimming trunks or pants 17.

The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. Suspenders including a pair of'suspender straps adapted for connection to pants or the like, comprising, connecting means on the suspender straps adjacent the front and rear terminal ends thereof for attaching said straps to a garment, a first pair of inflatable air chambers on the front terminal ends of the strapsA below said connecting means adapted to depend inside and be concealed by the garment, a second pair of intlatable air chambers at the medial portions of said suspender straps in the proximity of the shoulders of the user, and a pair of inflating hose means respectively connected in said pair of suspender straps in communication between said first and second pair of inflatable air chambers for inflating the same.

2. Suspenders as set forth in claim l in which said second pair of inflatable air chambers are adapted in thc deflated condition to be folded downwardly upon the straps between the pairs of air chambers, fastener means on said second pair of inflatable air chambers, and a cooperating fastener means on l each suspender strap between said pair of air chambers for cooperating with said first-mentioned fastener means to maintain the second pair of air chambers in folded condition.

3. Suspenders as set forth in claim 2 including decoration means on the back side of said second pair of inflatable air chambers folded to the front of said straps in the folded position of said air chambers.

4. Suspenders as set forth in claim l in which said connecting means comprise sewed connections between the garment and the opposite ends of the suspender straps.

5. Suspenders as set forth in claim l in which said suspenders are constructed of overlying front and rear panel portions, and said inflating hose means connected interior of said suspender straps between said front and rear panel portions.

6. Suspenders as set forth in claim 5 including inflating tubes respectively connected in communication with said pair of inflating hose means between said pair of air chambers, said intlating tubes protruding from between said front and rear panel portions, and means selectively closing the ends of said inflating tubes to maintain said air chambers in inflated condition.

1F 1k Ik 

1. Suspenders including a pair of suspender straps adapted for connection to pants or the like, comprising, connecting means on the suspender straps adjacent the front and rear terminal ends thereof for attaching said straps to a garment, a first pair of inflatable air chambers on the front terminal ends of the straps below said connecting means adapted to depend inside and be concealed by the garment, a second pair of inflatable air chambers at the medial portions of said suspender straps in the proximity of the shoulders of the user, and a pair of inflating hose means respectively connected in said pair of suspender straps in communication between said first and second pair of inflatable air chambers for inflating the same.
 2. Suspenders as set forth in claim 1 in which said second pair of inflatable air chambers are adapted in the deflated condition to be folded downwardly upon the straps between the pairs of air chambers, fastener means on said second pair of inflatable air chambers, and a cooperating fastener means on each suspender strap between said pair of air chambers for cooperating with said first-mentioned fastener means to maintain the second pair of air chambers in folded condition.
 3. Suspenders as set forth in claim 2 including decoration means on the back side of said second pair of inflatable air chambers folded to the front of said straps in the folded position of said air chambers.
 4. Suspenders as set forth in claim 1 in which said connecting means comprise sewed connections between the garment and the opposite ends of the suspender straps.
 5. Suspenders as set forth in claim 1 in which said suspenders are constructed of overlying front and rear panel portions, and said inflating hose means connected interior of said suspender straps between said front and rear panel portions.
 6. Suspenders as set forth in claim 5 including inflating tubes respectively connected in communication with said pair of inflating hose means between said pair of air chambers, said inflating tubes protruding from between said front and rear panel portions, and mEans selectively closing the ends of said inflating tubes to maintain said air chambers in inflated condition. 